Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Blood and Betrayal

“Let us strike a deal. A deal...bound in blood.” - Night Hag

- The group wakes up the next morning and become alarmed when Umbero never comes out of his room. They enter his quarters to find that he is missing and in his place is a young halfling woman who seems as though she has been waiting for them. She says her name is Coastie and that if they ever want to see their friend again they must help her track down the giants that attacked and find out where they came from. Cedric asks how they can even be sure Umbero is alive, but Coastie's only response is that they will have to trust that she has him somewhere safe. Siegfried expresses his distrust for this entire situation. He says they should kill her for kidnapping one of their companions and abandon Umbero for letting himself be taken by this tiny annoying woman in the first place. Thrall and Cedric disagree and Cedric decides to help Coastie in an effort to get Umbero back. As the group is about to leave Triboar, the town leader finds them and presents them with a few small tokens of gratitude for saving them. She also tells them the names of a few people in other towns who may be able to help in our efforts to stop the giants.

-The group then travels into the woods in the general direction of where the giants had fled the night before. Thrall, using his superior ranging and tracking skills leads the party deeper into the woods, while Siegfried, untrusting of this new Coastie character, trails a few steps behind everyone else to better keep an eye on her. As they travel, they notice the greenery around them beginning to decay. They then hear what sounds like a small girls cries for help coming from a decayed clearing in the woods ahead. They approach and see that the cries seem to becoming from the mouth of a small cave that is surrounded by dead trees and plants that are black with rot. Siegfried suggests that the party keep moving in the direction of the giants, that whatever lies in that cave is no business of theirs and that the main priority at the moment should be locating the giants before they move again, and getting Umbero back. Another cry for help shrieks out of the cave, and before the party can decide what to do, Thrall, who has been drinking through out the days travels, charges into the cave in a full sprint to attempt a rescue. The rest of the party is forced to follow or risk losing another companion. Siegfried hates everyone.

- As the rest of the party follows Thrall into the cave mouth, Siegfried shifts into a goblin names Kreetch and begins binding his own hands with rope to look tied up. He then hangs his head and hobbles along next to Cedric. They enter into a small, dark, fire lit room with a few books and abandoned gear laying about. Thrall is standing in front of a little girl who appears extremely dirty and equally terrified. She then smirks and transforms into a Night Hag. She cackles and asks why they have dared enter her woods. Coastie says they never would have entered if the bitch hadn't lured them here in the first place. The Night Hag casts a spell and paralyzes Coastie for her insulting her. She then turns to the rest of the group and threatens to kill them all. Kreetch coughs and asks permission to speak. He kneels before the Night Hag with his head bowed and apologizes for their disturbing of her woods. He then offers that instead of killing them they may be of some use to one another. He says that they seek giants that may be in the area, and that if she could give them any information on their whereabouts, they could in turn help her accomplish a task of her choosing. The Night Hag laughs and asks what use they could possible be to her. Kreetch looks up for the first time and smiles before slowly standing and shifting back into the Siegfried form, letting the bound rope around his hands fall to the ground. He says that he is man of many talents and asks what it is that she most desires in this world. The Night Hag appears delighted, for she is intrigued by the gifts of this man and says that there is in fact a task that needs be done. She tell them that she is being hunted by a man named Jerry that lives in the woods just outside of Triboar. She keeps having to move her dwellings to avoid be discovered and wants this man and his companions dead. If they complete this task, she says she will show the party exactly where the giants that attacked are. She then tells them that the agreement must be sealed by a blood pact, so she knows she will not be betrayed. The party looks nervous, but Siegfried remains calm and agrees. She pulls out a dagger cuts both her and Siegfrieds palms and joins them together while she recites an incantation. She then tells them to leave her, returning only when the task is complete, and releases Coastie from her paralysis. Siegfried congratulates everyone and thanks them for making them all errand boys to a Night Hag! 

-The group heads back toward Triboar and seeks out the Jerrys lodgings in the woods around the outskirts of town. They arrive just as night falls and Coastie sneaks up to the cabin to peer through the window while the rest of the party stays hidden in the treeline. As she looks she slips and falls against the window, alerting Jerry inside who comes rushing out of the cabin brandishing a sword. Siegfried, thinking fast, sprints out of the treeline and tackles Coastie to the ground, whispering to her to just go with it. He then pretends to bind her hands with some rope and stands her up in front of Jerry. He convinces Jerry that he has been tracking this thief for hours with the aid of his companions and lucky got her just as she was trying to break into Jerrys house. He asks if they may come in for a quick drink before they return the thief to town for her trial. Jerry offers his thanks and agrees, inviting the party into his home. Once inside he says offers them a small reward and leads them into his basement, a room filled with weapons and gear. Once below, Siegfried gives a nod to his companions and casts hold person on Jerry who breaks out of the spell immediatly. Jerry waves a hand over himself and is suddenly donning glistening full plate armor.